Karl Gottlob Kühn

Karl Gottlob Kühn (1754 to 1840) was a German medical doctor and medical historian, born at Spergau, who spent his career at the University of Leipzig. He earned his doctorate there in 1783 with a dissertation titled De forcibus obstetriciis nuper inventis, became an associate professor in 1785, and later held a full professorship of therapy from 1802 and of physics and pathology from 1820, serving three times as university rector between 1805 and 1814. He is known as an editor of the ancient physicians, publishing editions of Aretaeus of Cappadocia and Hippocrates and the acclaimed Claudii Galeni opera omnia, issued in twenty volumes between 1821 and 1833. He also translated works by William Hunter, Thomas Beddoes and Charles Bell and edited Thomas Sydenham and Giorgio Baglivi. As a physician his interests included electricity in therapy, smallpox vaccine, obstetrics and food poisoning.